A bipartisan group of 18 U.S. attorneys general is asking President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to take action to secure the release of Binance’s compliance officer Tigran Gambaryan from a Nigerian prison.
Gambaryan, a former US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent, was arrested in February when he visited Nigeria to address regulatory concerns about Binance.
Gambaryan is charged with money laundering and operating an unlicensed financial institution.
In August, reports emerged that Gambaryan’s physical and mental condition were the same deteriorated quickly, with the Nigerian government reportedly refusing to provide him with adequate medical care or basic treatment.
In their joint letterattorneys general are seeking the designation of Gambaryan as a hostage under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, saying the Nigerian government unlawfully detained the Binance executive under potentially life-threatening conditions.
“This appointment will free up crucial resources and provide additional diplomatic pressure to secure his immediate release. The Levinson Act is specifically designed for these types of cases: where American citizens are unlawfully detained due to political or financial pressure.”
They say the US must use every tool at its disposal to defend one of the country’s most dedicated law enforcement officers, who played a role in taking down the child porn ring. Welcome to video and dark web marketplaces AlphaBay and Silk Road.
“This blatant abuse of power is nothing short of extortion and must be countered with the full weight of the American government’s influence, especially given America’s financial and political support for the current political regime in Nigeria.”
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